OSHKOSH - An iconic Oshkosh neighborhood, guarded by two bronze lions, has joined the ranks of other historic properties across the country.

The Washington Avenue Neoclassical Historic District now is part of the National Register of Historic Places, the Wisconsin Historical Society recently announced.

Located in the 100 and 200 blocks of Washington Avenue, the six-building district includes the Oshkosh Public Library, Washington Place Historical Flats, the Oshkosh Masonic Center, the former Wisconsin National Life Insurance building (now Winnebago County Human Services) and the old Post Office (now the Oshkosh Office Center, where U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson's office is located).

"It was exciting to realize that the state was excited," said Shirley Brabender Mattox, chairwoman of the Oshkosh Landmarks Commission, which worked with the city Planning Services Division to get listings on both the National and State registers.

The district also achieved State Register status back in December.

"The use of the Neoclassical style in Oshkosh was a conscious effort to create a monumental and formal architecture reflecting the stature of the institutions, both public and private, that occupied the buildings, and in turn, these buildings reflect the importance and influence of the Neoclassical style in the early 20th century," according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Movie buffs also no-doubt would recognize the two-block stretch of Washington Avenue as the street down which Johnny Depp's getaway car sped past the library's lions, Harris and Sawyer, in the John Dillinger biographical drama "Public Enemies."

Being on the registries will allow property owners to apply for funding to preserve the history of the buildings, which officials hope will further contribute to development in the central city area, Mattox said.

"With the Y being enlarged and revitalized ... that whole corridor coming down onto Main Street will be just another area of exciting development for the future," she said.